


Who Killed Helmut Zemo?

by Shinigami24



Series: Detective Stiles [19]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Angst, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Detective Derek Hale, Family Fluff, Flashbacks, Fluff, Investigations, M/M, Minor Brett Talbot/Liam Dunbar, Minor Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes, Murder Mystery, Private Investigator Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:31:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 5,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9557276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinigami24/pseuds/Shinigami24
Summary: Helmut Zemo is murdered and his body dumped. The detectives try to navigate clues and red herrings to find out who actually killed the hated man.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Here's #19. This mystery is a whodunit I've been wanting to do ever since I got the idea. This fic is a crossover with the Avengers since several of the characters that are appearing here are from both the movies and the comics. However, other characters will make cameo appearances though.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The community center employees prepare for the play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the prologue for #19. TFG will be updated next.

**_Springbrooks Community Center, Brooklyn, 2017;_ **

The staff members sat at the conference table with the meeting's agenda.

"Today, we have a vote on the play." the director was saying.

"Our options for the play are; The Twelve Dancing Princesses, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and Thumbelina." the secretary added on.

"We will take a vote and begin casting." they finished. The meeting was soon adjourned.

"Fill in your ballots and drop them in the chute by the end of the week." the director said.

* * *

**_Hale penthouse, Springbrooks Complex;_ **

That evening, Derek and Stiles had some alone time. They put on a movie to watch while they relaxed. The couple kissed throughout the movie, happy and smiling.

**_Rogers-Barnes residence, Springbrooks Complex;_ **

Meanwhile, Bucky and Steve had time alone. The kids were asleep and the couple wanted to use their free time wisely.

"I'm going to work a few more hours this week," Steve was saying.

"I have more commissions." he explained.

"Don't overwork yourself." Bucky cautioned.

"I promise that I won't." Steve vowed. Bucky kissed his forehead and sighed happily. His husband would do a fine job as usual.

* * *

Elsewhere, Nix sat in his apartment. He was tired and overthinking. He wanted to be with his family and for his bad luck to end. While he adored his new brother, Zack had his own family. Nix sighed. There was no sign of relief in the near future. 


	2. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper and Danielle put the finishing touches on this year's ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 1. Ch 2 will be posted tmw.

**_Manhattan, New York;_ **

Danielle and Pepper were the organizers of the annual Stark Charity masquerade ball. They met with the caterers to discuss dishes.

"This year, we are doing traditional Italian. We need to do hidden gems that only Italians know about." a caterer was saying.

"The ball is tomorrow. Two hours should be more than enough for prep and you don't have to begin cooking for thirty minutes into the event." Pepper replied. The chefs nodded and went to the kitchen to start the menu.

* * *

**_Ritz Carlton Hotel, Manhattan, New York;_ **

T'Challa, Sif Odinson, Elektra Nachistros, and Helmut Zemo arrived in town and headed to their hotel. As they turned to head to the desk or do their own respective tasks, they saw each other and froze. There was heavy tension in the lobby.

The standoff ended once a crowd passed through and broke their line of sight. They parted ways, but the tension was still there.

* * *

That evening, Boyd, Erica, Brett, Liam, Derek, and Stiles went out on a group date. They went to a Spanish restaurant. They had fun and shared food. The nice date night relaxed them after a long day.

* * *

Meanwhile, the remaining Hales met up with the Argent and Townsend families plus Danielle and Isaac for dinner. Dinner consisted of cornbread, salad, and clam chowder soup. There was saltine crackers to go with the soup. 

They ate dinner and talked. Laughter filled the dining room. The family was so happy.

* * *

A hour later, Bucky and Steve had some alone time. They cuddled up for the night under their bed covers.

"What are you wearing to the ball?" Steve asked.

"We can reserve couples costumes." Bucky suggested.

"We can look for the costumes later." Steve smiled. Then they spooned and drifted off. They would go shopping tomorrow morning.


	3. Getting Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone takes time off to prepare for the ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 2 for WKHZ. Ch 3 will be posted next.

Thor, Jane, and Harley met Sif in the hotel lobby. Sif hugged her future nephew and smiled. She then hugged the couple and sighed.

"It's so good to see you."

* * *

**_Stark Industries headquarters, Manhattan, New York;  
_ **

Zemo arrived at Stark Industries, a fake smile plastered on his face. Tony saw him and groaned;

"What are you doing here?" he sighed.

"Just a friendly visit." Zemo responded. Justin Hammer followed soon behind. The man proceeded to cause issues and start trouble. The three leaders of their industry began to argue. Moments later, Bucky and Danielle ran out.

The duo skidded to a stop when they spotted the men. They exchanged glances before groaning.

"Not again." Bucky sighed just as security guards joined them.

"Security! Escort these men out!" Danielle commanded. The men tried to protest as security split them up.

"Why did you stop us?" Tony groaned.

* * *

Meanwhile, Clint and Natasha were walking down the street when they ran into a man with short hair and a stiff walk.

"Natasha?" the man asked. Natasha turned and gasped.

"Alexi!" she breathed, recognizing an old friend; Alexi Shostav. The old friends caught up as Clint stood silently to the side.

* * *

**_Springbrooks complex, Brooklyn;_ **

The detective agency closed early. They locked their computers and the doors. They needed to get ready for the ball.

Brett, Allison, and Cora met up on the third floor of their building. The trio looked at each other with confusion. Why had all of them been called?

They rang the bell. A minute later, Bucky opened the door. The kids were behind Bucky and Cassie popped her head out.

"Scott dropped Cassie off with the kids so we needed all of you." he explained. The teens were relieved.

"Thank you for explaining." Cora replied.

"Dinner is on the stove and Netflix is up. Their schedule is on the refrigerator." Steve added.

"Have a good night, kids." Bucky smiled as he and Steve left.

* * *

  ** _Manhattan;_**

Tony and Pepper had some time alone.

"Everything is going according to plan." Pepper was saying.

"Perfect. I got my suit out of the cleaners." Tony smiled.

"My dress came in so everything is ready." Pepper responded. Then they kissed before going to get ready.


	4. Leverage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zemo and Alexi encounter each other at the ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 3. The prologue for Love in Wakanda will be posted tmw.  
> This chapter is the start of the Masquerade ball arc.

The teens, Peter, and Chris arrived at the dance hall. They handed their invites to the doorman. They were let in and entered the hall. The ball was in full swing, with high profile guests mingling.

* * *

A few minutes later, Derek, Stiles, and the other teens were mingling when they met up with Bruce. They were so happy to see him, they started up a conversation.

While the teens were catching up with Bruce, Zemo and Alexi bumped into each other on the dance floor. Alexi immediately recognized the man. Anger overtook him and soon the two men were in middle of an argument. Before fists started flying, Nix stepped in.

"Hey! Not here!" he declared. Security rushed in to separate the two, but the men recognized the person that had first separated them.

While security were dealing with the unruly guests, Darcy and Skye had to fend off unwanted attentions from one of the other guests. Ian and Trip rushed to get their dates away from Justin. Justin was miffed by the rejection and tried to shake it off.

* * *

**_Roger-Barnes residence, Springbrooks Complex;  
_ **

Cora, Allison, and Brett made the kids macaroni and cheese with mixed vegetables. There was milk and muffins to go with the meal. 

Allison fed Aurora a bottle while the others tried to get Pietro to eat his dinner.

"If you eat all of your dinner, we can play superheroes before your bath." Cora coaxed. Pietro nodded and chowed down. He wanted to be Raphael.

* * *

**_Stark charity ball;  
_ **

Zemo met up with Whitney Frost, Maya Hansen, Sinthea Schmidt, and Kara Palomas. They were all afraid of Zemo and eyed him uneasily.

"I know all of your secrets. Cross me, and I will bury you." he promised. He picked up a glass of champagne.

"Have a lovely evening," he smirked as he took his leave.

* * *

While the guests mingled, Pepper, Tony, the elder Starks, and the Pyms greeted guests at the doors as they entered the room. They smiled and hugged friends while striking up small talks with strangers. They hoped that the night would be perfect. 


	5. Full Swing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The charity ball continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 4. Ch 5 will be posted tmw.  
> The characters that are appearing here; I got from TV shows, the comics, and movies. Elektra; I got from the Daredevil 2003 movie. Because I prefer the movie version to the TV version.

**_Stark Charity ball;_ **

Matt and Elektra stepped on the dance floor. Elektra was shocked to see Matt and Matt knew it was her by her perfume.

"Matt. This is a pleasant surprise." she spoke.

"I can say the same for you." Matt responded before switching topics.

"May I have this dance?" he asked.

"Yes, you may." Elektra grinned. Then the pair stepped on the floor and began a waltz.

* * *

 While Matt and Elektra waltzed, Bucky and Steve were heading in the coat room. They had left the party early because they wanted to tuck their kids in for the night. On their way, they met Thor and Jane. The pair had went to retrieve something.

"Where are you going so early?" Jane asked.

"It's almost the kids' bedtime." Bucky replied.

"Okay. Say hi for me!" Thor grinned. They waved and walked to the parking lot. Steve didn't drink so he drove home.

* * *

Over a hour or so later, Zemo was about to leave the party when Daniel Whitehall walked up to him as he turned in the direction of the coat room.

"What the hell do you want?" Zemo demanded.

"You know what I want." Whitehall replied.

"Do you know what I can do to you?" Zemo raised an eyebrow.

"Not anymore, you bastard." came the retort.

"How cute. Continue to believe that lie." He chuckled as he walked away.

* * *

**_Stark charity ball;_ **

Nix watched the ball from a corner of the room. The man sighed. When he'd first gotten the invite, he accepted it without even thinking to bring a date. Moments later, Sam walked up to him.

"Time to have that conversation." he said. Nix groaned, here it came; the moment of truth.

While Sam was cornering Nix, Heather wandered into the parking lot. Her frantic blue eyes searched the lot as she turned into a circle. No dice.

"Where is Mom's car? She's going to kill me if I lost it." she groaned. She'd just turned into another lot when she stepped in a thick liquid. At the sound of the splash, she paused in confusion. Wait, splash? They were on the second floor, for god's sake! She looked down and screamed. Her scream rang out in the air as her keys fell into the cooled liquid.


	6. Ruined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigations begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 5. Ch 6 will be posted tmw.  
> In this chapter and the next, the mystery of Nix is solved.

Parrish and his team walked into the parking lot. Yellow tape cordoned off the lot. No guests were allowed to leave unless they were questioned first and their car was on a different lot.

Heather was wrapped in a shock blanket and sitting on the hood of a police car. Rose was led under the tape and walked to her daughter.

The squad walked over to where the victim lay. To their shock, the newest victim was revealed to be Helmut Zemo. Zemo had multiple deep, stab wounds in the face, torso, and upper legs.

"Who killed him was pissed." Lance whistled.

"Get the M.E. We could work better in the morgue." Parrish said.

* * *

A hour or so later, Peggy met with Leo and Jemma in her office. They were exasperated and tired.

"There are too many suspects." Peggy groaned.

"We have got to explore their pasts." Jemma responded.

"I will begin interviews and build profiles." Peggy decided.

"I will run to IT and get the background checks. We might need extra help." Leo added.

* * *

The detectives were at the police station giving their statements. They waited in the hall for Isaac to finish his turn. All of sudden, Lance approached them.

"We have another case and need your assistance." he began.

"Sure thing." Derek replied. Lance was vastly relieved and thanked them. All of sudden, they heard a loud commotion and turned around.

* * *

In the meantime, Nix was dragged in while fighting. The war vet was furious to be dragged in yet another investigation. 

"Listen, you have the wrong guy!" he insisted to the police detectives; Alphonso 'Mack' Mackenzie and Lincoln Campbell.

"It's procedure, so calm down." Mack replied. Isaac came out of the interrogation room and nearly walked into the group. He was about to apologize, when he got a good look at the trio. His eyes went wide as he stared at a ghost come to life.

"Camden?" Isaac asked. Nix stared at the teen silently. Mack and Lincoln took advantage of the lull to pull Nix away and place him in a cell for the moment. They could question him later.

* * *

**_penthouse, Manhattan;_ **

Tony and Pepper had some alone time, and the couple were currently comforting each other. They were shaken up over the murder. The ball had gone well up until Zemo was found. 

The media would be descending on them like locusts when the news broke. So Pepper had to release a statement.

Pepper sighed, realizing that she needed to rest. She could fix this later. The couple settled down for some rest.


	7. Questing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony pays a visit to Matt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 6. LiW will be updated next.

Camden, Isaac, and Parrish were in the interrogation room. They were curious and antsy.

"Who are you? Are you Camden or Nix?" Parrish asked.

"I'm both. Yes, I'm Camden Lahey, but I became Nix after I came back." Camden responded, as he took a deep breath and continued to speak.

"I was held hostage in a prison camp for five years." he revealed. Parrish was horrified. While he had heard of many other units being captured in his own days in the military, he'd never met a POW until now.

* * *

_Camden was forced in a tight cell with barely any food. He and other prisoners were forced to do labor around the prison. They were beaten when they didn't perform the choice to their satisfaction. Some even were killed.  
_

_The enemy soldiers supervised them under Zemo's watch. In between the labor, beatings, and such. It was a hellish existence for five years._

_One day, Alexi and Sif's team rescued them. After being freed, the former prisoners were transported to the nearest army hospital to be treated._

_Camden was recovering when he got the news that his whole family was gone. His heart broke and he couldn't carry the family name alone anymore._

"When I got out of the hospital, I came here. You know the rest." Camden finished.

* * *

Meanwhile, the detectives went to the parking lot to investigate. The forensic team gathered their samples and took pictures as the detectives observed behind them. Stiles nearly passed out once he saw the blood stains.

"I can take over for him," Trip offered. Derek nodded with a smile as he moved Stiles away. They had a long way to go when investigating the scene.

* * *

**_Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan;_ **

Tony met with Matt. The blind lawyer was surprised to hear his friend.

"What brings you in, Tony?" Matt asked.

"I argued with Zemo the day before the murder. I need to take precautions." Tony explained. Matt stopped for a second.

"I'll defend you." he said. Tony nodded and sat down to explain what happened.

* * *

That evening, Bucky and Steve had alone time. They cuddled up together.

"The police want a statement from us." Steve was saying.

"Do the police have a time of death?" Bucky asked.

"He died some time between 10 and 11 PM. The ball was almost over by then." Steve replied. Dawning realization hit.

"That was after we left. We could have seen someone waiting and hiding but not known." Bucky mused. Then they kissed and settled down. They had to calm down.


	8. Alibi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Steve are interviewed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 7. Ch 8 will be posted tmw.

**_Detective Agency, Springbrooks Community Center, Brooklyn, New York;_ **

The detectives had a meeting. Since this was shaping up to be a complicated puzzle, everyone from Trip to Liam were in attendance. They were busy looking over the suspect list that they'd compiled.

"We don't have many leads." Trip commented.

"We have way too many suspects." Brett spoke flatly. Liam went through the list.

"We have T'Challa, Justin Hammer, Elektra Nachistros, Sif Odinson, Sinthea Schmidt, Alexi Shostakov, Maya Hansen, Whitney Frost, Kara Palomas, and Daniel Whitehall." he added. Derek took the list and read it before raising his eyebrows.

"Why are Nix and Tony still on the list?" he wanted to know.

"Oh sorry!" Kira apologized, as she quickly crossed the names off.

"Okay. Let's go and gather some evidence" Skye suggested. Nodding, the detectives got up and took assignments.

* * *

 Meanwhile, Bucky and Steve met with Parrish and his team at the police station. They were serious and answered all of the questions.

"We left the party early to put our kids to bed." Bucky was saying.

"What time did you leave?" Lance questioned.

"Around 8PM." Steve replied.

"Who can vouch for your location?" Lance continued his line of questioning.

"Thor and Jane saw us leave. We were all in the coat room." Bucky responded.

"Thank you for your time. We will call you if we have anymore questions." Parrish said, ending the interview. They went their separate ways. Bucky and Steve had to go to the grocery store while the police needed to do some followup.

* * *

**_Rogers-Barnes residence;  
_ **

Ryan and Alicia babysat the kids while Bucky and Steve went out. Aurora and Drew napped while the teens kept the older kids entertained with games such as Hot Potato, hide & seek, and Simon Says. The kids had fun playing until their parents returned.

* * *

That evening, the families plus Stiles, Danielle, and Isaac gathered for dinner. Camden had been invited.

Dinner consisted of spaghetti with meatballs, salad, and herb bread. Everyone sat down to enjoy their meal. They talked and laughed as they ate.

When dinner was done, they cleared the table and Rose went to get dessert; chocolate mousse cake.

* * *

A hour or so later, Derek and Stiles were alone in Derek's room. They snuggled up together, basking in the closeness.

"This is going to be a long investigation." Stiles was saying.

"Let's not worry about it now." Derek responded. Stiles nodded, then they settled in to relax. They can worry about it tomorrow. Now, it was time to rest.


	9. Narrowed Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The detectives keep reviewing the list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 8. Ch 9 will be posted next.

**_Stark Tower, Manhattan, New York, Jan 2017;_ **

Pepper and Danielle held a press conference in front of the building. Pepper had a stress induced headache pressing into her skull. While Happy and Danielle were just relieved.

Danielle had to put on running shoes in the office so she could run around and field calls from the press. The conference was her savior. Happy had to double security teams to keep the press out of headquarters.

"We are sadden that a charitable event was marred by the ultimate sin of murder." Pepper began. The press went into a frenzy and tried to get their questions answered first.

"Daily Bugle. Do you have any personal opinions about the death of Helmut Zemo?" a reporter asked.

"New York Times. Does the police has the time of death?"

"Brooklyn Eagle. Who do you think killed Zemo?"

"Vanity Fair. How did the Stark Gala's fundraising go? Did you raise enough money for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital?"

"Queens Tribune. What surprised you the most about Zemo's murder?"

"Wall Street Journal. Has they found the murder weapon used?"

After about five minutes of relentless questions, Pepper finally put an end to the conference.

"This is all we can say under the advice of the police. Have a good day." Pepper stated. The media kept asking questions, even as the trio walked back inside.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Odinson family traveled to Thor and Jane's house. Sif was in a bad place because she was considered a murder suspect. The kids were oblivious to their aunt's problem but still helped cheer her up. The adults made food and tried to cheer her up. Her family's efforts brought a smile to Sif's face.

"Thank you so much for coming." she said.

* * *

**_detective agency, Springbrooks community center;_ **

The detectives had a meeting. They needed to eliminate suspects. So they went through the suspect list. Several alibis had been confirmed since then, so they discussed the remaining names.

"I am favoring Justin, Alexi, Daniel, and Whitney." Liam declared.

"Their alibis are weak and most of them have terrible personalities." Malia agreed. They crossed off most of the names; T'Challa, Sif, Sinthea, Maya, Kara, and Elektra.

"Alright. Let's find motives and means." Derek said.

* * *

That evening, Howard and Maria invited T'Challa to dinner. Dinner consisted of shrimp alfredo. The side dishes were bread, asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower. 

They enjoyed themselves, eating and talking happily. When dessert came, a slice of New York cheesecake was served to T'Challa.

* * *

In the meantime, Bucky and Steve had some alone time. They cuddled together.

"They cleared more of our friends." Bucky mentioned.

"That's good. Thor told me that Sif was so upset." Steve responded.

"Yeah. They were looking at her as a suspect." Bucky replied. Steve nodded as he rested his head against his husband's chest. Wrapping their arms around each other, they drifted off to nap.


	10. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The detectives set their trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 9. LiW will be next to be updated.

A few days had passed since the press conference. Justin caused trouble for everyone. He defamed Tony and other former suspects. The press fed into it and caused more frenzy. Things got so bad, that Camden and Kara refused to go out alone. Everything was at it's breaking point.

One day, Tony and Pepper had some alone time. They cuddled on the couch with Netflix on.

"The kids are focusing on other suspects." Pepper mentioned.

"One less worry." Tony sighed. They kissed before turning the movie on again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Daniel and Whitney were up to no good. The pair were trying to erase evidence in the murder case.

The tech genius that they bribed tried to contaminate samples in the lab. He had just broken in by picking the lock. His flashlight shone as he searched for the right cabinet. He'd just opened a cabinet and pulled out a file, when Melinda came in and turned on the lights. He froze, caught red handed.

Melinda swiftly incapacitated the tech and dragged him to Chief Fury. Fury placed him under arrest and started an investigation into who paid him.

* * *

The next day, Bucky and Steve had some alone time to cuddle.

"Parrish told me that someone broke into the lab." Bucky mentioned. Steve sat up,

"What?!" he exclaimed, Bucky nodded and replied,

"Yeah. Melinda knocked him out. They think he was trying to get to the murder evidence."

"This is a lot bigger than murder now." Steve was worried. Bucky pulled Steve closer. He didn't want to talk about it anymore.

* * *

**_detective agency, Springbrooks community center;  
_ **

The detectives met once again to figure out how to catch the murder and saboteur.

"What if we mess this up? It could tip off the killer and they could run." Cora was saying.

"We need the proof." Allison pointed out.

"Alright. We'll go ahead with the plan." Kira sighed. They got up to plan out the trap carefully.

* * *

The detectives placed their trap in the parking lot. Soon, a rumor made its way through the suspects. The detectives staked out the parking lot and settled in to wait.

Several hours later, footsteps could be heard as someone walked into the parking lot. They strode over to a car and took out their keys. Moments later, the trunk opened, revealing a bloody raincoat, gloves, and knife. The killer reached down to grab said items. He was about to pick them up when his wrist was grabbed.

"We have you now." Trip declared.


	11. Disclosure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The killer is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 10. Ch 11-12 will be posted next.

The detectives emerged from their hiding spots to surround the killer. He stared at them like a deer in headlights.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just found those." Daniel Whitehall denied.

"Really?" Erica raised her eyebrow.

"When the police tests the weapon, I'm certain they will find your fingerprints on the weapon." Boyd stated. Daniel's look of shock melted away to be replaced by pure fury.

"That damn Zemo had it coming!" he shouted, before he launched into a rant.

* * *

After about five minutes of endless ranting, the detectives exchanged glances as the killer fumed and seethed.

"He was holding my past against me! I couldn't get away!" Whitehall seethed. All of sudden, they heard something unexpected,

"I just wanted the Reinhardt name gone." the killer mentioned.  He resumed speaking,

"So I had to do something about him. That night, after we talked, I went to my car..."

_Reinhardt arrived at his car and opened his trunk. Putting on the yellow raincoat, and gloves. He picked up the dagger._

_He hid in the shadows to wait, about five minutes later, Zemo walked in, heading to his car. Whitehall sprang out of his hiding place and pounced. Rage overtook him and he saw red._

_When the haze cleared, he returned to himself. Zemo laid dead at his feet, and his coat was splattered with blood._

_Taking a deep breath, he went to the trunk of his car and dumped the bloody knife, coat, and gloves. He locked the trunk and left the lot with the cooling corpse behind..._

"You know the rest. Sadly, you won't get the chance to tell anyone." he declared, pulling out a gun.

"Now, who wants to be the first to die?" Whitehall smirked.

* * *

As the group stared at each other. The detectives side-eyed the killer.

"You're outnumbered." Liam wasn't impressed. As if on cue, a group of hired mercenaries walked in the lot, armed to the teeth.

"Not anymore." Whitehall smirked. The detectives were surrounded and tied up. The men circled them, holding them at gunpoint. They were stuck.

* * *

Unknown to Whitehall and his hirelings, the detectives had planned ahead. The police had staked out the lot. Bobbi saw the mercs go in. So Lance snuck up and threw a smoke bomb inside.

Everyone were shocked when smoke filled the garage. Everyone panicked and ran out, straight into the police. While the men were taken into custody, Lance and Bobbi entered the lot and untied the detectives.

"We have Whitehall." Bobbi said.

"He changed it. His last name is Reinhardt, look it up." Stiles said.

"He also confessed to the murder. The proof is in the trunk." Erica added, as she pointed at said trunk. The police thanked her and went to check.

The ordeal that Zemo's murder had caused had finally came to an end. Now it was time to pick up the pieces.

* * *

That evening, Derek and Stiles had alone time. They cuddled, holding each other. They were still shaken over the events in the lot.

"That was too close!" Stiles was saying.

"Apparently, Whitehall or whoever he is, plays for keeps." Derek spoke flatly.

"I'm just glad that it is over." Stiles replied.

"Let's just forget about it and rest." Derek suggested. They nodded and settled down to rest.


	12. Legal Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Europol comes to New York for the criminals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 11. Ch 12 will be posted next.  
> I know several Marvel characters have appeared. But I have plans for some of them to return in future stories.

A few days later, the police met with Europol. They would be taking the prisoners for international crimes.

They greeted each other and shook hands. Then the prisoners; Werner Reinhardt and Sinthea Schmidt were handed over with some of the mercenaries. The prisoners struggled all the while cussing them out.

"Pipe down. Just accept that your goose is cooked." Tyler chided, causing the prisoners to glare. Europol thanked them before leaving with their prisoners.

In the meantime, Whitney had her own problems. She went to exit a building only to be swarmed by reporters. She tried to fight them off.

"Wall Street Journal. Is Helmut Zemo's letter true, did you really kill Jane Scott?"

"Daily Bulge. Is the rumors true that your former husband Calvin Chadwick is running for senator?"

"Vanity Fair. What is your opinion on the love triangle between you, your husband and Joseph Manfredi?"

"The New York Times. Was your former husband the father of Jane Scott's child?"

"New York Daily News. What kind of work did you do for the Council of Nine?"

The flashing lights were blinding and prevented her from really seeing. However, one thing was clear, that damn Zemo had gotten the final laugh. Her secret was out, it was only a matter of time before the cops came knocking.

* * *

A few days later, T'Challa, Sif, Maya, Elektra, Alexi, and Kara visited the detectives with gifts. The detectives were thankful for the gifts as the former suspects thanked them for clearing their names.

The detectives knew that they were on the right track. The real killer would have never done something like this if they had been cleared.

Justin Hammer was served with a lawsuit. Trying to use his silver tongue, he tried to get away from the document.

Sadly, it was now in his possession, so he could no longer claim ignorance of the lawsuit. The media rushed his office, trying to get a response on the lawsuit. He was effectively ruined.

* * *

**_Townsend/Argent/Hale penthouse;_ **

Derek and Stiles cuddled in Derek's room of the penthouse. No one else was in the house, so they had some time alone.

"Justin Hammer was all the news with the lawsuit. Danielle said she saw Tony hysterically laughing in Pepper's office," Stiles grinned.  Derek chuckled,

"That seems very like Tony. Wish I could have seen it." Stiles kissed Derek softly.

"We have another case done for. How about we have dinner to celebrate?" Derek grinned and returned the kiss. It sounded perfect.

* * *

**_Rogers-Barnes residence, Springbrooks Complex;_ **

Bucky and Steve played Candyland with the kids. The kids loved the bright colors and learned how to play. They especially loved their parents and Zack helping them win. As the game came to a good end, the parents kissed their kids' cheeks.

* * *

After the game night, Bucky and Steve put the kids to bed and cuddled in their own bed.

"We have two months until Lottie's birthday party. We need to plan more and get invitations sent out." Steve was saying.

"She likes tea parties. Why not have one big tea party for her and rent a tea room?" Bucky suggested.

"Perfect, Bucky!" Steve beamed. The blond kissed his husband hard. Bucky chuckled and cuddled Steve against his chest.


	13. Party Planner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teens play laser tag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 12. The epi will be posted tmw.  
> Why the rush? Simple, we are having guests coming over this weekend. I won't be able to update anything for four full days. My last update will be this Wed. My next update will be next Monday.

**_John's of Times Square Pizzeria, Manhattan, New York;_ **

Camden and Isaac met Zack at the pizza place. Camden smiled when he saw the younger boy,

"Isaac meet Zack. Little brother, meet my other little brother." he said, performing the introductions. The boys were shocked to see one another. They had no idea that they had the same brother.

After getting over their shock, the boys ordered two pizzas and hung out together. After years apart, the brothers had been finally reunited.

* * *

One day, Tony and Pepper hosted another party for the detectives. The party was full of food and music. It was totally casual.

"I would like to thank our guests of honor for capturing the killer; Daniel Whitehall." Tony announced. The detectives blushed at the attention as the other guests applauded.

"Have fun, everyone!" he finished.

* * *

The next day, Derek, Stiles, Brett, Liam, Boyd, and Erica went out on a group date. They played Laser tag. The couples teamed up to play and have fun. They had fun and grew closer under pressure.

* * *

That evening, the Argent, Hale, and Townsend families plus the Lahey brothers, Danielle, and Stiles gathered for dinner. The dining room table was set, so they sat down to dinner.

The meal consisted of Mexican soup, macaroni and cheese, and rolls. They enjoyed the warm meal. When the meal finished, they plopped down in the family room for a movie before heading to bed.

* * *

**_Roger-Barnes residence;  
_ **

Bucky and Steve had some alone time. They cuddled together in their bed.

"Stevie, I reserved the tea room. Her birthday is on a school day so I set the tentative date for that Saturday." Bucky was saying.

"Thank you. I hope that it is Angela's tea place. She is great with kids." Steve smiled.

"That's the place." Bucky replied. Steve kissed him,

"Thank you, baby. I know she will love it."


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The couples spend time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the epi. LiW will be updated next.  
> A word of warning, the fic next on the list is a Middle Earth fanfic. So you'll have to wait until next month for me to post #20, sorry.

A few days later, Rose met with Odin. Odin was serious and Rose knew exactly what was wrong.

"There has been more shoplifters this month than the total in the past three years." Odin began. Rose sighed,

"It's almost always jewelry stolen." Odin continued to speak.

"They have evaded the security cams and display alarms." Rose sat still, in deep thought. Moments later, she made her mind up and announced her decision.

"I will call in a few private investigators." she stated.

"Alright. I'm counting on you, Rose." Odin replied.

* * *

**_Hale/Argent/Townsend penthouse, Springbrooks Complex;_ **

Isaac and Camden stayed in the penthouse to catch up. They laughed at the sitcom on TV. They had fun together and talked through the show. The brothers were so happy to be back together.

* * *

While the brothers were catching up on the last six years, Boyd, Erica, Brett, and Liam went out on a double date. They went to a diner. They ordered cheeseburgers and fries. They talked and laughed over their food. The couples chuckled at a terrible joke. The date was perfect and full of joy and friendship.

* * *

**_Rogers-Barnes residence;_ **

Bucky and Steve bonded with their kids. They worked on their puzzle. It was a nature scene with flowers and a meadow. They had fun together. Eventually, the kids finished and were rewarded with cake.

* * *

That evening, Bucky and Steve had some alone time. They kissed softly. Bucky and Steve spooned in their bed, with Bucky being the big spoon. Soon, they settled down to rest.

Derek and Stiles were alone. Stiles sat in Derek's lap and kissed the Alpha. They couldn't stop kissing. Despite their stressful job, the couple always found time to fall deeper in love.


End file.
